Fears of a new war in Somalia

Somalia's Islamists vowed a "holy war" yesterday against
Ethiopian troops crossing into the Horn of Africa nation, while
Addis Ababa threatened to "crush" any attack on the interim
government it supports.

The aggressive rhetoric - combined with this week's military
moves on both sides - have heightened fears of a new war in
Somalia, plagued by violence and without central rule since the
1991 ouster of a military dictator.

"The risk of full scale war increases by the day," said John
Prendergast, of the International Crisis Group think-tank.

Islamists took the capital Mogadishu from U.S.-backed warlords
last month and are threatening the authority of a transitional
administration formed in Kenya in 2004 and intended to steer the
nation from anarchy to peace.

Sheikh Mukhtar Robow, a senior Islamist in charge of defence,
said around 20 military vehicles from Ethiopia had crossed into
Somalia at Dollow on Wednesday.

That added to previous Islamist accusations Ethiopia was pouring
in troops to support Somalia's government against them.

"God willing, we will remove the Ethiopians in our country and
wage a jihadi war against them," he told reporters.

Independent analysts believe Addis Ababa has sent up to 5,000
troops into Somalia, and is massing many more on the border, as a
deterrent to any more advances by the Islamists, who took Mogadishu
from U.S.-backed warlords last month.

The regional power, Ethiopia backs the interim government of
President Abdullahi Yusuf, based in the provincial town of Baidoa
because it lacks the strength to move into Mogadishu.

"The Islamists' agenda is to topple the legally constituted
Federal Transitional Government of Somalia and destabilise
Ethiopia," added Information Ministry spokesman Zemedhun Tekle.

Ethiopia denied incursions into Somalia but threatened to
"crush" any bid by the Islamists to take Baidoa or cross the
border.

Stalled talks

Nominally Christian-led Ethiopia, which condemns the Islamist
leaders as "terrorists", is fearful of having a hardline Muslim
state on its doorstep.

It is also anxious at possible Islamist aspirations to establish
a "Greater Somalia" which would incorporate areas inhabited by
ethnic Somalis such as Ethiopia's Ogaden.

Ethiopia sounded the alarm after Islamist militia moved from
Mogadishu to Buur Hakaba - just 60 km (37 miles) from Baidoa - on
Wednesday. The Islamists returned in the evening, saying they went
to collect 150 soldiers switching sides from Yusuf's force.

The commander of those soldiers said they were disgruntled at
lack of pay. "We met him (Yusuf) on Sunday and told him we will be
leaving since his government failed to honour its promises," Garad
Fiidow Gabow told Reuters in Mogadishu at a former government
building where his troops were resting.

The soldiers carried new AK-47 rifles.

Interim government spokesman Abdirahman Dinari, however, said
soldiers had left due to indiscipline.

Islamist defence chief Robow said he could have gone on to
Baidoa: "I had weapons and militia yesterday but did not go to my
house in Baidoa to avoid being an obstacle to the talks and also to
prevent confrontations and gun-battles."

He was referring to stalled Arab League-brokered talks between
the Islamists and government in Khartoum. The government pulled out
of the last round, saying the Islamists broke an accord to stop
military advances.